Queen’s University Appoints New Vice-Chancellor

Queen’s University Appoints New Vice-Chancellor

The next President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast will be Professor Ian Greer, the University announced today.

Professor Greer, born and educated in Scotland, is currently Vice President of The University of Manchester.

Professor Greer’s appointment was approved this morning at a meeting of Senate, the University’s Governing Body. Professor Greer becomes the 13th Vice-Chancellor in the University’s 172-year history.

Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Senate, Mr Stephen Prenter, said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Ian Greer as our new President and Vice-Chancellor. Professor Greer has an international reputation of academic excellence and has held major strategic and leadership roles in higher education for some 25 years, most recently at The University of Manchester and at the University of Liverpool.

“I know that with his track record of extraordinary leadership, he will be an inspirational leader for Queen’s University and I wish him every success.”

Speaking about his appointment, Professor Greer said: “It is a great honour and privilege to be selected as the 13th President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast. I very much look forward to working, in partnership with staff and students, to build on the outstanding achievements of previous Vice-Chancellors including, in particular, Professor Patrick Johnston, a former colleague and fellow clinician.”

“I have great affection for Northern Ireland and tremendous respect for the University. Queen’s has an enviable reputation for research, education and innovation and plays a major leadership role in the economic, social and cultural development of Northern Ireland.”

“I very much look forward to committing my energy, drive and enthusiasm to leading the further development of Queen’s as a world class global university with regional impact.”

A graduate of the University of Glasgow, Professor Greer was appointed a Research Fellow at the Department of Medicine, Glasgow in 1982 and became a lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Edinburgh in 1987.

He returned to the University of Glasgow in 1991 as Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and held the Muirhead Chair of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from 1991 until 2000. He became Regius Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 2001, and Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Medicine in 2003.

In 2007, he was appointed Dean of the Hull York Medical School before moving to the University of Liverpool in 2010 where he was Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences and Provost for Research from 2013. He joined the University of Manchester in 2015, where he is Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health.

Professor Greer’s clinical practice and research focuses on medical disorders in pregnancy, and women's vascular health, particularly in relation to haemostasis and thrombosis.

He is Director of the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC) and Chair of the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA), a cross sector collaboration of eight Universities and NHS partners. He is also Chair of the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform Board. He was a member of the UK Government’s Office for Life Sciences Industrial Strategy Board that developed the UK’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, that was published in August 2017. In addition, he is Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board at the UK Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Development Centre.